Based on the visitation of Abraham by YAHWEH, mentioned in Genesis 18:1-8, I would like to comment on a spiritual principle, which is connected with the supernatural and natural realm.

 

1 The Lord (note: YAHWEH) appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.

2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.

4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.

5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

 

The Search of Faith for the Supernatural Realm

The Word of God reveals to us that we should seek the supernatural realm where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (see Colossians 3:1-3).

Colossians 3:1-3:
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Since Abraham is our forefather of faith and lived at a time when the Torah did not yet exist in written form, it can be seen that Abraham found God (note: YAHWEH => the God of Israel) by faith because he sincerely sought Him (see Matthew 7:7 i.c.w. Hebrews 11:1-3.6.8).

Matthew 7:7:
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Hebrews 11:1-3.6.8:
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. …

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. …

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

 

Faith is, among other things, the power that enables us to see into the supernatural realm in order to recognize what God's plan is on earth. This is made clear by the appearance of God to Abraham in Genesis 18:1 ff.

It says there that YAHWEH appeared to Abraham while he was sitting in the grove of Mamre in the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

The Whereabouts of Abraham

Abraham's stay shows an important principle that must be recognized spiritually correctly. Since God is Spirit (see John 4:24a), the Lord first appeared to Abraham in the Spirit.

John 4:24a:
24a God is spirit, …

 

Here the Lord chose the structure of the Heavenly Father by revealing Abraham as YAHWEH.
In connection with this appearance the location, the position of Abraham as well as the hot day temperature played an important role.

These attributes, should point out to us today, the importance of the fellowship of saints (note: grove/small forest of Mamre => ‘fatness, strength, manhood’), who are righteous and act in authority and in the anointing of Christ (see Psalm 92:12; Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Psalm 92:12:
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; …

Jeremiah 17:7-8:
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

 

Abraham's positioning in the entrance of the tent is an indication of the expectations of a believer who moves before God in transparency and honesty in order to encounter Him.

 

This is made clear by the Hebrew root word for ‘tent’ (note: ‘`āhal’), which means ‘to be clear or to shine brightly’. (note: word explanation of the Hebrew word ‘`āhal’ from the Elberfelder Study Bible with the word key number 169*)

 

The high daytime temperature is an indication of the atmosphere of holiness that accompanies God's revelation (see Hebrews 12:14).

 

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

 

At first God filled Abraham's spiritual realm with His presence (see Genesis 18:1) because Abraham moved before God in transparency and honesty (note: ‘`āhal’).

 

Genesis 18:1:
1 The Lord (note: YAHWEH) appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.

 

Furthermore, the Lord also took the dwelling of Abraham with his followers in the presence of holiness (note: when the day was hottest) as an opportunity to meet him.

This led Abraham to become spiritually active by lifting up his eyes and seeing three men standing before his spiritual eyes (see Genesis 18:2a).

 

2a Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. …

 

 

After seeing this appearance in the supernatural realm, his view changed to the natural realm, so that he recognized three men at some distance to whom he hurried (see Genesis 18:2b).

 

… 2b When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

 

This reveals that visitations or manifestations of God in the earthly realm first have their seat in the heavenly realm.

 

Visitations of God can thus take place with a time delay in our temporary time, although they have already taken place in the spiritual realm, on the basis of the biblical passages from Daniel 9:22b-23 and Daniel 10:12-14.

 

… 22b “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision: …

 

12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

 

The application of the manifestation of God in the earthly realm unfolds when we lift up our eyes of the heart enlightened by wisdom and revelation in faith and accept what is shown to us by the Heavenly Father (see Ephesians 1:17-18).

 

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, …

 

Here we should realize that God also uses people in the earthly realm to respond to our previously seen revelation in the Spirit (see Acts 12:14-16 and Hebrews 13:2).

 

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

 

2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

 

 

In connection with the appearance of God in the life of Abraham, it is important that we respond promptly and prepared to the sudden appearance of God and ask the Lord to come into our spiritually prepared environment of revelation and honesty in order to find increase of His favor and grace.

 

While the LORD reveals Himself from the uniqueness as God of Israel (note: ‘YAHWEH’), the presence of the revelation of His being (note: three men => Father, Son, Holy Spirit) increases in our lives, so that processes in our lives accelerate and things, that seemed impossible become possible (see Genesis 18:14 i.c.w. Luke 18:27).

 

14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

 

27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

 

Here hospitality and giving are important aspects, consisting of two types of investment (note: grain and living sacrifice; see Genesis 18:6-7).

 

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

 

 

The quick preparation of Sarah's (note: means ‘princess’) bread as well as the quick preparation of the tender and good calf by the servant according to the instruction of Abraham are an indication of the investment of saints who serve their king from the structure of the bride as queen as well as saints who serve people from the structure of a servant.

 

The Hebrew word for ‘hurry’ or ‘to be fast’ is ‘māhar’ and is also translated as ‘properly to be liquid or flow easily’. (note: word explanation of the Hebrew word ‘māhar’ from the Elberfelder Study Bible with the word key number 4195 and the Strong's Concordance with the word key number H4116)

 

Abraham’s instruction calls to act spiritually and not to discern the situation rationally.

 

If we act in the Spirit according to the biblical principles, the consequence is that among all the ‘trees of righteousness’ we find the ‘tree of righteousness’ which is Jesus Christ.

 

His presence makes us understand more clearly by His ‘simplicity’ (note: Jesus' unconditional sacrifice through His death on the Cross) what it means to eat the food of the Spirit, just as God does (see Genesis 18:8 i.c.w. Genesis 24:9-11; Matthew 4:4).

 

8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

 

9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli (note: sapphire), as bright blue as the sky.

11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

 

4 Jesus answered, “It is written (see Deuteronomy 8,3): ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

In summary, to seek the supernatural realm means to maintain an attitude that enables us to encounter God, that qualifies us to position ourselves correctly with the resources entrusted to us, so that we experience the counsel of the threefold and living God.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel Glimm

As we approach the Hanukkah– and Christmas season, which are related to the supernatural conception of Jesus (Yeshua) in the womb of Mary, the following message from Steve Shultz will serve us as an enrichment in relation to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

 

Blessings,

 

Daniel Glimm

 

 

I was raised protestant, and though I always believed in the virgin birth and that Mary was Jesus’ mother, I more or less stopped there. I respected Mary’s motherly role in the training of the savior, and also that she was there at the crucifixion to support her Son’s last breath, but I was, like those in other protestant denominations, more or less taught to not go beyond that. It was like a fear of worshipping Mary.

 

After all, there was a major denomination that prayed through, and to, Mary. Of course, I didn’t believe in doing that, and I still don’t. That’s why I kept my theology to the things mentioned above.

 

 

But there’s a problem. It’s this: A prophetic angel (note: Gabriel) appeared to Mary, the mother of the Messiah, and prophesied that she would carry the Promised One.

 

Later, Mary showed up at Elizabeth’s house, and she herself became prophetic and prophesied about herself: “And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. – Luke 1:46-50 [emphasis added]

 

As it turns out, Protestants are afraid to fulfill Mary’s own prophecy. We’re afraid to dive Mary too much attention. We’re this way, even though Mary prophesied that ALL generations would call her blessed. And yet we remain to do so.

 

 

Now, all of the above is “theology”. That is, it’s in the Bible and thus, it’s from God.

 

But let me throw some human logic at you. So here goes …

 

When Mary died, she surely went to be with her savior and her Son – THE SON! And my logical guess is that her Son, Jesus (Yeshua), loves His earthly mother, and she loves Him.

 

As a result, I’ll bet (this is just my guess) that Jesus gave her a special place close to Him in Heaven. It’s not recorded in the Bible – but it’s a pretty good guess.

 

I also feel that God, who loves His Son, also loves dearly the young woman He chose to be the mother of His only Son.

 

What a mansion SHE must have!

 

One of our job descriptions – our “must do’s” as Christians – is to be lovers of the mother of Jesus, to call her blessed. I’m pretty sure this would make our “Groom” happy, that we would pour, if not lavish, honor and blessings on Jesus’ own mother, Mary.

 

What would that look like?

 

 

Well, if we don’t sing “Ave Maria”, what if we write more songs about Mary, according to her own prophecy about herself. We don’t worship Mary, but we should honor her.

 

What if we even preach messages about Mary, no longer fearing to heap too much blessing on the mother of our Lord.

 

Remember, that as Mary prophesied, she said this very important thing: “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”

 

One thing (of many) that I’ve learned is that God never wastes His time saying unimportant things. He always wants us to take note of every single word He utters through prophetic voices.

 

Remember, through Mary, God said: “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”

Now why would God have the mother of Jesus prophesy that?

Quite simply – because He wanted us to know and to believe this.

 

God loves mercy, and those who fear Him are extended mercy. It says so, right in Mary’s prophecy.

 

Mary must have felt such overwhelming mercy that God would pick “little ol’ her”, living in Galilee of the Gentiles, to give birth to the only Son of our Father in Heaven.

 

 

I’ve often wondered what it was in Mary, living in Gentile territory, that would make God select her. Someday I guess we’ll find out.

 

Maybe she was just pure in heart (and of course she was in the line of Judah). But maybe it was because God knew she would just say, “Yes”, because she feared – that is, she respected – the very Words of God.

 

No matter how you look at it, God is making several statements through Mary: We are to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. We are to call her blessed, from generation to generation. Mary prophesied it. That extends beyond just saying that she was a virgin. It means we honor her above many. We should stop being afraid of doing that.

 

Remember that God will take almost nothing (that’s both you and me) and use us – extending mercy to us if we are simply willing to say “yes” to Him – no matter the lowly circumstances we find ourselves in. That’s what it means to “fear Him” - among other things.

 

So my challenge to you, the Church at large – is to learn to honor the earthly mother of Jesus Christ, according to her own prophetic word. A mother who is likely located in her personal mansion – very close to Jesus in Heaven.

 

Yes, that’s speculation, but what would you do for YOUR mother if you were the savior of the world?

 

(This message is taken from the December 2007 edition of the prophetic magazine “ELIJAH Rain” with the title “No Longer Afraid of the Virgin Mary”, page 24-25 by Steve Shultz)